Sunday, October 20, 2013

Monster Mix - Halloween Snack Mix Recipe

Sometimes the excitement of holidays and all of their baking/crafting potential is just too much for my brain to handle. How many pumpkin spice donut recipes should I pin before actually deciding which ones to make? And what about the hundreds of apples I should be coring for pies, breads, and ciders? Where is the photographer who is supposed to take wonderful pictures of me wearing a flannel shirt and Hunter boots at the orchard? Where do I fit in the time to hand-craft 50 feet of bunting for my portico?! (I don't have a portico.)

No, not this time. Halloween can't run us down before the Christmas euphoria sets in. So drop the jack 'o lantern cookie cutter and do something so ridiculously easy that Geico would use it to advertise a caveman's ability.

This recipe is adapted from one that my favorite blogger, LittleBabyGarvin, shared in her October Love List. It's a sweet & salty Halloween snack mix straight out of a dream. Now I could tell you that this would make a great party recipe to share with others, but no. This is for you, brave holiday soldier.

These are pretty rough measurements because it's really up to your personal taste. If you hate candy corn with a passion, don't put it in there! Although you'd really be missing out because candy corn goes great with rosé... not that I'm hinting at anything here.

Instructions:
1. Line a shallow pan with foil. I used a cookie sheet, but recommend a jelly roll pan or 9x13.
2. Pop one bag of salted popcorn - not buttered! Spread it over the bottom of the pan.
3. Add pretzel sticks and crushed oreos. Try to distribute them evenly.
4. Melt about a pound of white chocolate in the microwave. I used 1.5 bags of Ghirardelli chips, but the original recipe calls for a pound of Wilton candy melts.
5. Pour a layer of melted chocolate over your popcorn, pretzels, and oreos. You should use most of the chocolate in this step, but not all of it. Mix it around with a spatula to make sure everything gets slightly coated.
6. Add M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, and candy corn. Drizzle the rest of the chocolate over this layer - not too much or you won't see the colors of the candy!
7. Put it in the fridge to set. Once the chocolate has hardened, break it all up into bite-sized pieces.

Congrats, you have Monster Mix! Eat it in large quantities by the handful. Enjoy!